The HongKong Getaway Part 2
Filed Under Travel
Victoria Peak (85%)
Ok. This is actually one of the few places where you can see a real house… i mean, mansions if you call it. Land in HongKong is so precious and scarce that everybody is living in condominiums and those who can afford to have a mansion must be really rich… as in exceptionally rich.
So to get there, you’ll have to take the Peak Tram bus (top-down double-decker bus) from Central going to the Tram station. You then have to queue and buy the ticket to ride the tram going to the peak. Of course, you can ride a taxi from Central to the Peak Tower but you’ll miss the experience of riding the Tram. I think it is part of the thrill. The view from the top is amazing, it’s like looking at a large postcard but it’s real. The view is breathtaking.
Shopping
I guess everybody will agree that HongKong is the shopping haven of the world. No one should leave me in Sham Shui Po alone and with lots of money because for sure, I’ll spend them in a flash. You’ll find there electronics items, electronic parts, power tools, cellphones, computers and most especially… remote controls …helicopters, airplanes, trucks, heavy machines, robots… oh my, I can’t believe I’ll see so much interesting items!
Errr, for ladies, Sasa is everywhere in HongKong. There you can find perfumes and cosmetics all in bargain prices. And what’s more? They are all originals! For shoes, bags, shirts, jackets, etc, I suggest you visit Tsuen Wan area. It’s at the end of the MTR’s Tsuen Wan Line and since the area isn’t as known as Sham Shui Po, Mong Kok and Temple Streets, the price is lower. My wife even saw an item 50% cheaper than the price in Temple St. Generally, the price in Tsuen Wan area is 30% lower than in Temple and other downtown street markets.Try to check out shops of branded apparels like Bossini, Giordano and Baleno because for sure, you’ll grab one or two items for yourself at very low prices you can’t imagine the items sell at that prices.
I suggest you give yourself at least 5 hours for each of the shopping areas in Sham Shui Po, Mong Kok and Tsuen Wan. Goodluck if you can scour the are in a day.
DisneyLand (95%)
Ok, this may not be as big as the one in Florida and Tokyo but it sure will still entertain you a lot. If you want to take a lot of pictures and enjoy site seeing, this would be the place for you. Though it is a little bit pricey (HK$295), I think it is worth it. I never really thought I’ll be able to go to a DisneyLand in my lifetime but I just did. We arrived at Disney at about 2pm and left at around 9pm or so. The park closes at past 8pm but visitors can still go and shop around. We enjoyed having pictures with the Disney characters. Pooh and Tigger are the best though we would have loved to have picture with Minney Mouse. The queue is quite long so you better make the most of your time.
There’s a lot to see around the park but one must not forget to see Adventure Land and a ride with the Disney Train. Oh I’m really tempted of writing everything we’ve done inside the park. It just shows how I enjoyed it but I have to limit myself with it. Maybe next time…For now, that would be enough. Oh, make sure that you are full before you go here and bring some snack because food in Disney has a stardust in it, you can barely afford them. haha!
Ocean Park (80%)
This theme park at the edge of a hill is the best place for thrill seekers. However, be ready to be patient with long queues on each rides. With a HK$185 price tag, it’s a little bit affordable and it’s near downtown Hongkong, too. Since time is of essence, we just selected some of the attactions inside like the Dolphin Show, Sea Lion, Reef Atoll and most especially, THE CABLE CAR!!! There’s a lot of interesting things to see in this theme park. There’s a lot of food stalls here especially in the BoardWalk area. However, I still suggest that you take your lunch first before you come here. They closes at 8pm so make the most of your time.
Transportation : MTR (90%)
The amazing Octupos card will help you on this. Hongkong has such a very efficient transportation system that you wouldn’t want need to have your own car. Besides, living in a cramped condominium will mean additional cost for parking. We used MTR mainly but there’s another line which is KCR east and west. MTR subway will get you everywhere in downtown HongKong. Those that you cannot reach by subway, use the bus. The British must be very proud of how they transformed HongKong to where and what it is now from its humble beginnings before and during the time of the Opium wars.